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CONTENTS

PEMBURY VILLAGE NEWSEditor: Miss Louise Fowliec/o 6 The Grove, Pembury TN2 4BU

Distribution enquiries: Parish Clerk 823193

Email: pvn@pembury.orgWebsite: www.pembury.org

Pembury Village News is publishedfour times a year by the ParishCouncil, but the views expressedin the magazine do not necessarilyrepresent official council opinionor policy.

Typeset and printed byFolderspring and HeronswoodPress, Tunbridge Wells.

Editorial Working Group:Louise Fowlie (Editor), Paul Barrington-King, Rosie Bass, Masha Bayles,Mel Karpinski, Rick Bayles, June Crowhurst, Janet Ditchett, Sally Osborn

and Kathy Wallwork.

Cover photograph The Old Coach Road.Photograph by Hugh Boorman.

Please note: The Editor’s decision is final on whether or not to publish any itemsubmitted. The Editor reserves the right to edit (that is to cut, précis, alter, correct

grammar and spelling) any item published.

2

Chair’s Report 3 & 5

The Puzzle of Pembury Parrots 5

Kent College and Pembury FilmFestival 2010 7

Garden Share Scheme 7

Farewell Mrs Thewlis! 9

Pembury Players’ Summer Production 9

A New Garden In Pembury 11

Snippets 13

Young Fashion Designers Awards 13

Pembury, The Early Days 15 & 16

Pembury School House Nursery 17

Pembury Gardeners’ Society 17

Blooming Pots 19

Pembury Trees – Western Red Cedar 19

The Old Coach Road 20 & 21

Paul Drury – Obituary 21

Hope 2010 Fun Day 23

Pembury Day Centre – Ada’s Farewell 23

My Plot 25

7000 Miles Away From Home 25

Spiders – From Phobia To Admiration 27

Waterfield House Surgery 28

Pepenbury News 28

Joan Campbell Remembered 29

Library Opening Times 29

Pembury People – Peter Jervis –Downingbury Farm 31

Are You Ready For Winter? 33

Crime In Pembury 34

Top Tips For Keeping YourHome Safe 34

For Your Diary 35

Rosie’s Recipes 36 & 37

Church Times 37

Your Representatives 38

Village Organisations 39

COPY FOR NEXT ISSUEAny news items or articles for possible inclusion in the next issue

of this magazine must be forwarded tothe Parish Office, c/o 6 The Grove before

1 November 2010.

If you use a computer to type your article, it would be extremely helpfulif you could send it (and photos) in by e-mail to pvn@pembury.org

3

CHAIR’S REPORT

I THINK IT was a sterling effort by all our residents who came out on such a cold evening to support the Musical

Picnic on the Green.

Thank you all so very much for your time. Who would havethought an evening in June would have developed into aSiberian weather front?! My lasting memory is of us allhuddling over a bag of chips to keep warm.

But as usual you, as supporters, always raise our spirits andare such enjoyable company. It is always so nice to seefamilies out, Nans, Granddads, Mums and Dads and all thechildren make it special and, as usual, you all make amazingpicnics.

The amount of people attending was outstanding considering there were other events on inthe village that evening. We must thank the two bands that played. It`s always good to seeyoung talent in the making and then see how they progress and we wish them well for thefuture.

We are already thinking about next year, having listened to your feedback and perhaps havingit a week or two later as the weather does seem to be changing for June and arranging musicto suit all age ranges, making sure we cater for all differing tastes.

Since then the weather has been fantastic and I really hope you have all managed to enjoy thesummer. The exciting thing for me now is the judging of Pride in Pembury and seeing theresults of all your hard work. As you go around the village this summer all your gardens andhanging baskets look fantastic, so it’s going to be difficult to judge. I think you will agree thehanging baskets in the village look outstanding this year and I know you appreciate that thevillage is so well maintained.

Congratulations to all the businesses in the village who have entered into the spirit of Pride inPembury and have such colourful displays on their frontage. It all looks wonderful and as weall know, Pembury has special people who do that extra bit for the village. Thank you so verymuch.

Like any village, we also get our irritations: dog fouling and broken bottles in the recreationground. They are both time-consuming to clean up so please, if you have a dog, take a plasticbag with you to clear up behind your pet and why, oh why, break bottles? It’s so pointless andso dangerous to our little ones.

continued on page 5

4

5

It was good news to hear that the new hospital will be on track for its opening and thatPembury will be acknowledged as being the (whatever the name is) at Pembury.

It’s a Knockout for the youth is the next event. This is on 25 September, so please supportthe competing teams and enjoy a hotdog or chance your luck on the tombola or raffle.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Sincere regards.

June Crowhurst, Chair, Pembury Parish Council

CHAIR’S REPORT – continued

THE PUZZLE OF THE PEMBURY PARROTS

I N THE last issue of the Pembury Village News,Lesley Campbell asked if anybody had spotted the

Pembury Parrots which had been seen around the villagegreen. In February, two parrots were seen sitting in aField Maple in Forest Way, but they were not RingNecked Parakeets, as suggested. The ones I saw andphotographed had yellow crowns, grey bills and a redflash on their wings, unlike Ring Necked Parakeetswhich have very distinctive red bills and dark neck rings.

As the birds I had observed are not included in any of my identification guides, I sent myphotographs to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) for identification. Although it couldnot be certain, the BTO was reasonably confident that they were Mealy Amazon (Amazonafarinose) parrots, which are native to Central and South America. This means that they arealmost certainly escaped caged birds. In addition to the well established Ring NeckedParakeets, the BTO database of non-native birds seen in Britain lists a further 20 species ofparrots.

In view of the fact that parrots tend tobe fairly sedentary birds, the MealyAmazons might not have been passingthrough as hoped. Their diet andbehaviour are similar to those of theRing Necked Parakeets, so they may beable to establish a successful breedingcolony in Pembury. If they do, then theBTO (www.bto.org) would like toknow about them as it is responsible forrecording the population and distribu-tion of wild birds in Britain.

Leo FavretEditor: Thank you to all those people who have contacted us regarding the Pembury Parrots. At the timeof writing the last article we had no photographic evidence and only descriptions from eye witnesses. Thephotograph which we used was one taken in Sevenoaks Reserve and showed a Ring Necked Parakeetwho resides in our local area. We hope this new photographic evidence will help to put the record straight!

6

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7

KENT COLLEGE and Pemburywill be celebrating their love of

film and music at the Kent College& Pembury Film Festival 2010 fromFriday 15 to Monday 18 October.

This regional event will open onFriday 15 October at the annualKent College Birthday Lecture withGuest Speaker and ComedienneSue Perkins and promises to be a celebrationof film and music. It will bring together thecommunity with a selection of film viewings,music concerts, film industry workshops,drama performances and competitions.

The four day event will be held at a selectionof venues in Pembury, including the KentCollege Judi Dench Theatre and PemburySchool.

Two competitions will run throughout thefestival:

The Snapshoot Film ChallengeThis competition challenge is for teams of upto eight novice film-makers from schools,

Guide and Scout groups and sportsteams in the local area during thefestival. The teams will write, shootand edit a film story on the KentCollege site within six hours.

The Big Shorts FilmCompetitionThis competition is open to aspiringfilm-makers over the age of 18 in the

South East. Applications will be invitedin advance of the festival and the winningfilm will be awarded the prize of £1500sponsored by Kent Attractions.

Both competitions will be judged by a panelwith an awards and prize-giving ceremonyheld at the end of the festival.

For further information and to receive anentry pack for either competition, pleasecontact Emma Chandler,Head of External Relations,on 820237 or emailchandlere@kentcollege.kent.sch.uk

Emma Chandler

KENT COLLEGE & PEMBURY FILM FESTIVAL 2010

GARDEN SHARE SCHEME

ANEW GARDEN share scheme is now operating in Pembury and the surrounding

areas. It is an opportunity for garden owners toshare a part of their garden, even a border would do,with someone who doesn’t have a place to growanything, or perhaps is waiting for an allotment -usually a long wait these days.

The scheme is particularly for the growing of fruitand vegetables, but of course flowers are alsoplanted to attract bees and other vital insects.The produce is shared between the two parties; awin-win situation.

The scheme is working well but we do need more participants. We are looking for gardenowners and garden growers to solve the problem.

Please tell your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues about us and if you can help,we would love to hear from you. For more details contact Transitiontwells@googlemail.comor telephone Dawn Grant at Town and Country on 501702.

Carole Barnes

8

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9

THIS YEAR, the end of the Summer Term atPembury School was tinged with sadness as

staff, pupils and parents said a fond farewell toCath Thewlis, the Headteacher for the pastdecade. During that time, Pembury School hasseen many changes including the building of the‘Oasis’ classrooms for years three and four pupilswhich replaced the damp and outdated HORSAhuts. In May, the school wasdeservedly recognised as beinga good school with many out-standing features, including theEarly Years Foundation Stage andits care for the welfare of all pupils.

At a surprise assembly, each classbrought out a special card they hadmade for Mrs Thewlis withmessages of thanks and bestwishes. Following a collectionfrom staff, governors and parents,Mrs Thewlis was given a numberof presents including a bread maker, membershipto the National Trust and an ornamental clock.To conclude the assembly, the children sang newwords to the Abba song, ‘Super Trooper’ thatthey had been secretly learning. Her passion forcricket was acknowledged by the PSA who gaveher tickets to watch a match between Englandand Pakistan.

Mrs Thewlis was responsiblefor introducing cricket coachingto the school and she wasdelighted to see both the girls andmixed teams reach the County finalsin her final year as headteacher. She was alsotouched to receive a book of memories from pastpupils of the school. Mrs Thewlis became a

grandmother to twins in Novemberand she is looking forward tospending more time with them andher husband, Graham.

How will Mrs Thewlis beremembered? These are some ofthe comments from some Year 6pupils:

“She has inspired lots of children topersevere.”

“She is a fun-loving, creative Head-teacher.”

“Mrs Thewlis is the best Headteacher because she isalways there for the pupils and is kind and caring toeveryone around her.”

“She was always there when you needed her most.”

“It didn’t seem like Mrs Thewlis did her job for themoney but because she liked being with the children.”

Jane Gardner, Acting Headteacher

PEMBURY PLAYERS’ SUMMER PRODUCTION

EVEN WITH so many other events happening on the weekend of 19 June, the Pembury Playerswent ahead with their delightful summer plays. A lot of hard work had clearly gone into their

production.

The first play ‘Jump Off’ was great and Andrew and Catriona had the audience on the edge of theirseats. Will she or won’t she?? The suspense was right up there until the end; well done to those involved.

After the interval, the second play ‘The end of the beginning’ had greatpossibilities. The audience missed many of the jokes due to the fast paceand the Irish accents. It was all overby the time we realised what washappening. A little more action andwe could have been thrilled.

We eagerly look forward to thepantomime at Christmas on 6, 7 and8 January; what will it be? The castalways work so hard and the sceneryand costumes are great. Well done!

Janet Ditchett

FAREWELL MRS THEWLIS!

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A NEW GARDEN IN PEMBURY

PATRICK GILLAN and his partner havespent the last six months creating an

entirely new garden for their home inKnights Close.

The land used was, until recently, part of alarge common garden for four houses inKnights Close, and had been mainly unusedfor many years other than serving as a primarilyredundant open lawn.

Creating a new garden from scratch provided awonderful opportunity to develop somethingwhich took full advantage of the site, whilst atthe same time enhancing the area of the villagegenerally. The first task was to create thephysical boundary for the street elevations toRidgeway and Lower Green Road. Afterconsultations with the Borough Council,hedging was decided upon as the mostenvironmentally suitable method. With somany hedging styles to choose from, actuallychoosing the plants proved quite difficult.Beech hedging was chosen for the longboundary to Ridgeway, providing a greenscreen in the summer months, turning to alovely coppery bronze in the winter. The insideboundary was interspaced with Hawthorn, proving an excellent natural habitat for nestingbirds, and giving lush green growth very early in the season, to herald the onset of spring.

The garden enjoys a very sunny site from the Lower Green Road end. Behind mature Laurelsimported from Holland, a summer house and deck were constructed to take full advantage ofthis sunny site.

The planting was done to reflect a very traditional feel with cottage garden favourites likeHollyhocks and Lupins, interspersed with perennial and mainly evergreen shrubs. A plethoraof clematis and honeysuckle plants are beginning to wind their way across trellising and thearchway connecting the patio to the garden. A variety of Hydrangeas have filled the northfacing borders.

The garden needed to be both functional andproductive. Despite heavy clay soil, which wasenhanced with well rotted horse manure andhorticultural grit, the kitchen garden’s first season hasseen a tasty crop of Broad Beans, Peas, Courgettes,Runner Beans and New Potatoes. A few light crops ofRhubarb have provided a sweet alternative andfurther soft fruits are awaited next year.

Matthew Rosenz

Before

After

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13

SNIPPETSChristmas Market at the HospiceThe Hospice in the Weald Christmas Market willbe held on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 November,10am – 4pm at the Hospice in Maidstone Road,Pembury. There will be wonderful stalls for allyour Christmas shopping. Refreshments, cakesand light lunches will be available in the food hall.Admission £2 (free after 12.30pm). For moreinformation, call Ruth on 820508.

The Pembury SocietyThe next meeting of the Pembury Society will beon Thursday 21 October at 7.45pm. in the VillageHall. This will be the AGM and we would like tohave a good attendance for this importantmeeting. The speaker for the evening is yet to bearranged.

Gardeners’ Society TalkPembury Gardeners’ Society will be hosting a talkon Thursday 7 October from 7.45pm at theCatholic Hall, Lower Green Road.

Paul Cumberton from the RHS Gardens at Wisley,Surrey, will give the talk. He is the greenhouse super-visor of the Woody Ornamental and Alpine Plants.

John Wood, with a group from the Alpine Society,was lucky to be invited to view behind the screenat Wisley, the parts that the public does not get tosee, except over the hedge. Paul has a greatknowledge of his subject and very kindly agreed togive a talk on Alpines at Wisley.

It costs just £2 per year to join the society. Forfurther details, please contact John on 824877.

It’s A KnockoutThis year’s ‘It’s a Knockout’ competition will takeplace on Saturday 25 September in Lower GreenRecreation Ground at 1pm. Each team of sixyouths, between the ages of 8 and 16, fromorganisations around the village, will compete forthe Denise Barnes Cup.

To apply to join in, please contact Janet Ditchetton 822586 or Kevin Edser on 823643.

Congratulations to the JacksonsSt. Peter’s is delighted to announce the safe arrivalof twins to Rev Matthew Jackson and his wifeEmma. Congratulations to them and a bigwelcome to Ed and Millie!

YOUNG FASHION DESIGNER AWARDS

KENT COLLEGE Pembury was bursting with talent on Saturday 19 June as the new Young FashionDesigner Competition Awards, (sponsored by Hoopers, C&H Fabrics and World of Sewing) took

place in its first ever year. The day was an outstanding success and Kent College welcomed many industryprofessionals, students, teachers and parents in a celebration of the up and coming talent from across theregion.

The group of 18 talented finalists each set up their displays for theprofessional body of judges to view and discuss. This was a greatopportunity for students to speak to experienced professionals fromhigh profile positions within the fashion and textiles industry.

Following a busy networking lunch, the student finalists were givena master class whilst the judges deliberated over the super talent ondisplay.

The Awards ceremony was opened by Head of Textiles and YFDorganiser Karen Wintle and Kent College Headmistress Sally-AnneHuang. Guest speaker Bill Bohm from the Textiles Institute presented an inspiring speech applauding thetalent shown throughout the competition, urging students to continue in their design pursuits and to helpin raising the profile of this successful event.

The winning finalists were announced and cheered on by fellow finalists and supporters. The three firstprize winners will now have their work held on display in the Hoopers of Tunbridge Wells restaurant.

Head of Textiles at KCP and YFD Innovator Karen Wintle commented: “It was such a valuableexperience for the students to meet and compete with others from a range of schools in the South Eastand to present their work to a very experienced judging team from the world of Fashion and Textiles.”

Emma Chandler

14

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15

PEMBURY, THE EARLY DAYS

PEMBURY RARELY gets more than a passing mention in any book on the history of Kent, butit is wrong to assume that this means that nothing of interest has ever happened here. Pembury

existed for at least 800 years before ‘the wells at Tunbridge’ were discovered and we should recogniseour early heritage. It is apparent that in medieval times Pembury was a busy place and there is acontinuity that can be traced through the whole 1000 years of its existence.

The name was first recorded c1100 as Peppingeberia but is believed to date from the 7th century andpossibly means ‘the place of Peppins people’. There is evidence of prehistoric activity in the area, butit was not until Saxon times that the Wealden forest was developed, because of the difficulty of access.At this time the High Weald was divided into ‘dens’ and initially used as summer pasture by thesurrounding lowland parishes. This may explain why the Weald was largely ignored when theDomesday Book was compiled in 1086. Much of Pembury was a den of Nettlestead which,significantly, is accessed directly from here by a road that is still important. Gradually people stayedall year and each family cleared its own farmstead from the forest. These isolated units are usual inthe Weald, rather than the development of a nuclear village and common fields associated withlowland Britain. The parish church, situated as it is to the north of the parish and which is known tohave existed as early as c.1100, has always sat in almost total isolation. The triangular area of urbandevelopment we recognise today is a late 19th/20th century phenomenon.

The other important road through the village, which runs east/west along the ridge in the centre ofthe modern village, was an iron-age trackway from the forest to the river crossing at what is nowTonbridge and is one of the routes suggested for King Harold’s march south from London in 1066.This was an important route throughout history, until the by-pass was built 20 years ago.

Documentary evidence is sparse before the 13th century, but surviving 8th century charters identifyboth Chalket and Mousden and one of 838 identifies Hayes Wood, in what became Pembury andElmhurst. Early documents obviously relate only to the rich and powerful, but they still give us someinsight into life at the time. As early as 1212 there was a disagreement between two landowners overa mill in the village. So we know corn, the essential food staple, was being processed here by then.

One party in the dispute, the Walhulls, had considerable land holdings throughout Kent including inboth Pembury and Nettlestead. It was from them that the Abbot of the rich Premonstratensianmonastery at Bayham, which was founded c.1200, bought a large estate in Pembury in 1249, togetherwith control of the parish church. This later became the Hawkwell estate. The Abbey’s influence inPembury continued for 300 years until the Dissolution.

Possibly the most important family in Kent from c1250 to c1500 were the Colpeppers and they livedat Bayhall for 200 years from the early 13th century. In 1297 their importance was confirmed whenKing Edward l stayed a night with them while travelling from London to Udimore. By 1324 thefamily were in dispute with others over, among other things, two mills and nearly 600 acres of landin Pembury, Tonbridge and Tudeley. Two mills would seem to imply considerable economicdevelopment in the area. Then, in 1355, Walter Colpepper built a chantry in the churchyard. Thiscontinued in use until the Dissolution, when it was suppressed and subsequently demolished.Perhaps the Black Death of the 1340s influenced Walter in this project. Walter’s heir and brother,Sir John, continued the family’s direct and lasting influence in the village as he rebuilt and enlargedthe parish church to what we know today. John Colpepper of Bayhall was High Sheriff of Kent in the1360s.

We then come to lesser people who are remembered because their names are familiar to us today inlocal place names. The Copping family, who are still remembered in places such as Kippings Crossand Copping Crouch Green (the Upper Green), were exceedingly wealthy residents of Pembury inthe 14th century. In 1337 Richard and Thomas of Pembury, together with John of Tonbridge and

continued overleaf

16

THIS PHOTOGRAPH was taken at a celebration of the Pembury Guide’s 60th birthday in1980 or 1981. This year Guiding celebrates 100 years. Can you see yourself or do you

recognise some friends in this photo? Please contact the editor (details on the inside front cover)with any information.

PEMBURY GUIDES 60TH BIRTHDAY 1980/81

PEMBURY, THE EARLY DAYS – continued

three others, were in debt to Richard de Cobham for the vast sum of £400. John was possiblyinvolved in the iron industry. The family were still here 200 years later. Other significant villagefamilies who were here before 1500 include the Amhersts (later of Bayhall) and the Whybarns (laterof Hawkwell).

The Kent Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 are a surviving list of taxpayers and there are names inWatchlingstone hundred (the area which includes Pembury) that are associated with farms we knowby the same name today. Among these are Walter Parstepe (Pastheap), Thomas Dodehurst(Dodhurst), John & William Synningeleghe (Sunningly), and John & Walter Muxle (Muxlewell,where the existing house is believed to date from the fourteenth century).

No-one from Pembury is recorded as having been involved in The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, but bythe time of the Cade Rebellion in 1450, things were different. Three men from the village arementioned in the pardons, including William Knight, yeoman, who died in 1453 and whose Will hassurvived. He is probably an ancestor of Richard Knight who left the bulk of his considerable estate toRichard Amherst of Bayhall, the father of the most famous dynasty from Pembury.

Early surviving Wills are rare, but as a final indicator of just how developed Pembury had become by1500, there are 29 Pembury Wills dated between 1440 and 1500 that survive, relating to 22 families.I suggest that this shows that Pembury was well populated and prosperous. The number of Willsincreases significantly after 1500.

Kathryn Franklin

17

PEMBURY SCHOOL House Nursery has been rated as “outstanding” by a recent officialinspection. The Ofsted Report found that the setting is “very effective” at meeting the needs

of all children and noted “outstanding partnerships” with parents. This is a cornerstone forchildren’s consistent learning and development. The nurserychildren were praised for their excellent social development andself-confidence, with the report drawing particular attention to theircollaboration with staff and each other. In summary praise was givenfor the combination of “effective” leadership and teamwork andlooked forward to the Nursery’s continued improvement under the“ambitious” vision of Nursery Manager, Rachael Teigan, whoexpressed her delight at the Report’s findings.

Parents speak highly of the Nursery and many choose to be involved with fund-raising eventsthroughout the year, which helps bring the community of children, staff and parents together,as well as providing extra funds for Nursery resources and equipment. One mum commented:“My son’s confidence and social skills have come on in leaps and bounds since he started atPembury School House Nursery. He absolutely loves it and I can’t praise the staff highlyenough.”

Pembury School House Nursery is a charity-run nursery for children between two and five yearsand is open to all pre-school children in the community. Interested parents are advised to contactthe Nursery as soon as possible in order to get their child's name on the waitinglist. For further details please contact Rachael Teigan on 825580 and visit the website:www.pemburyschoolhousenursery.com

Rachel Jackson

DESPITE THE gardening difficulties caused by the hard winter, the hot summer sun anddry conditions, the flowers at the Gardeners’ Society summer show on 10 July were of very

high quality. On entering the village hall, one was enveloped by the perfume of the sweet peasand the scent from the roses. Both of the cups for sweet peas were won by Doug Drury and PeterParfitt won the John Baggeson cup for roses.

The floral art was as beautiful and interesting as ever, with the cup won by Brenda Penfold.There were plenty of entries for the cookery classes, with Caroline Riley winning the cookerycup. The miniature gardens in the junior classes were excellent, with the junior cup won by RuthMazzey and the younger juniors decorated some tasty looking mini pizzas.

For the autumn show on Saturday 11 September at 2.15pm in the Village Hall, we can expectto see plenty of vegetables, chrysanthemums, dahlias and a selection of other flowers, includingroses, carnations, flowers or berries from a shrub and pot plants.

Floral Art will include ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, ‘Oranges and Lemons’, and ‘Halloween’.Cookery has 14 classes to choose from, including mince pies, oat biscuits, Victoria sponges,blackberry jam and liqueur.

Handicraft has classes for hard and soft entries, as usual. Junior exhibitors have three classes.The under 7 years and 7-11 years can each enter for ‘Harvest in a Shoebox’ and the 7-11 yearscan also enter for the Juniors’ Cookery: a gingerbread animal.

For a full show schedule or to enter any of the classes, please contact John Wood on 824877.

PEMBURY GARDENERS’ SOCIETY

PEMBURY SCHOOL HOUSE NURSERY

18

19

YOU MAY have seen your CommunityWarden with a ‘Sidekick’ wandering the

streets of Pembury recently. This sidekick wasCharlene Grundy, a Support Warden. One ofher tasks during her short-term contract was toset up a project which helped to strengthen ourcommunity.

The time of year reallydictated what could be doneand the idea of bringing somecolour to people was the seedwhich grew.

The residents of CamdenCourt in Chalket Lane wereasked to decorate and plantup some pots with a view tohaving said pots judged bychildren from PemburySchool. This was a reversal ofthe roles in the Easter Bonnet and egg paintingcompetition done during the Easter term.

The pots were supplied by ‘The Flower Man’who has a stall at the Village Market onTuesdays. 54 bedding plants were provided byNotcutts and the art material was provided byTown and Country Housing.

The residents were given two weeks to decorateand plant up the pots and on Thursday 20 Mayat 2pm the children walked from the school toCamden Court to both judge the pots and enjoysome cakes and juice.

There were three prizes for the top three potsand these prizes were pre-sented by the children. Thechildren also had a numberof questions to ask theresidents relating to anotherschool project.

On the walk back to school,all of the children weretalking about the storiesthey had been told by theresidents with great excite-ment, trying to see who hadthe best story.

The whole project was a complete success and itis hoped that we can repeat the experience infuture months and years – bringing different agegroups in the community together to form newfriendships and a better understanding of oneanother.

Tom Younger, KCC Community Warden

THIS TREE is the confusingly named Western RedCedar. Cedar is overused as a name mainly because

early settlers in America didn’t know their botany! It’s betterto call it by its Latin name, Thuja. It is not the infamous‘Leylandii’ or Leyland Cypress – even if TWBC did say so inits Conservation Area Appraisal of 2007 [article 6.37].

These are a number of characteristics to help would-be treecritics tell the difference. Firstly, the fruity smell; some saypineapple, others think more citrus, but definitely sweet,whereas other conifers – of which there are many – smell ofthe typical resin. Secondly, the cones; 1cm long, green thenwoody ‘little flowers’. Thirdly, it will re-grow from old wood,a feature that Leylandii does not have.

And just as an academic point, Leylandii is a hybrid and likemost hybrids, has very limited fertility. So, it’s a fair bet thatif you see a tall conical conifer and it has got any kind offlowers or cones, it is not Leylandii.

Caroline Mazzey

PEMBURY TREES – WESTERN RED CEDAR

BLOOMING POTS

Thuja plicata

20

THE OLD COACH ROAD

IN JUNE 2009, the Parish Council, as part of their Pride in Pembury initiative, enquired asto whether the Old Coach Road could be re-opened along its recognised public footpath

sector, which had become totally impassable due to the invasion of brambles and especiallyholly.

Many people ask where the Old Coach Road is and what it is. Please see the map providedby one of our volunteers, Kathryn Franklin and this brief history of the Old Coach Road.

The original Old Coach Road was a track which went all the way from Pembury Green, upthrough the ground where St Peter’s Upper Church nowstands and down across the fields to Bayham Abbey.

Sir John Jeffreys Pratt, 2nd Earl and 1st Marquis ofCamden (1759-1840) already owned the Bayham Estatein Lamberhurst when the Bayhall Estate in Pembury cameon the market in 1799 after nearly 200 years in Amhersthands. With this purchase he now owned extensive estatesin both parishes but did not have unbroken ownershipfrom Bayham to Pembury Green.

However, in 1811 he managed to buy 65 acres from aYeoman farmer by the name of James Skinner Hartridgewho had ancestral connections in Pembury dating back toElizabethan times.

This purchase included a narrow strip along two fieldboundaries that he needed for ‘drainage purposes’. Thisgave the Marquis the missing link and by 1815 the CoachRoad was built. It was essentially a very long private drivefor Lord Camden from the Turnpike Road at Pembury tohis home at Bayham, through his own estates, with theobvious benefits of saving tolls on the Turnpike roadsbetween Pembury and Lamberhurst.

The Coach Road was just one of an extensive network of roads and footpaths thatLord Camden had built across his estate. In 1907, with the advent of the motor car, LordCamden offered the northern section as far south as the ponds to Tonbridge Rural Council,in perpetuity as long as it was used as a footpath only.

21

The remaining section, which we used to walk frequently in our youth, is being contested inthe courts in December this year; more on that later.

In October 2009, with the help of Mick Waterman, Paul Drury, Richard Snow, PhilipMurrell, Neil and Kathryn Franklin and more recently Melanie Karpinski, the entanglementof undergrowth has been removed and is now under control. Spring 2010 saw, for the firsttime for many years, Bluebells, Primroses, Daffodils, frequent visits by roaming deer, ducks,Buzzards, Kestrels and Wagtails.

Rick and Masha Bayles have runlate evening bat spotting sessionsand established that there arevarious species of pond lifepresent.

This winter, with the help of grantmoney from KCC, in conjunctionwith Kent High Weald Partner-ship, we will be running fourdifferent days of hedge-layingcourses. If you are interestedplease contact the Parish Officeand we will provide details.

Access to the Old Coach Roadcan be made via the field off thetop of Canterbury Road or eitherof the two footpaths that runadjacent to and on either side ofthe A21, one by the cricketground and the other one a littlefurther down Chalket Lane.

I would like to thank all the otherpeople who have not been namedbut whose contributions wereinvaluable.

Look forward to seeing you in theautumn and winter.

Hugh Boorman

PAUL DRURY

Sadly, one of the Old Coach Road Improvement Scheme volunteers, has recently passedaway. Paul was one of the stalwarts of the scheme and hardly ever missed a Thursday,thoroughly enjoying working on opening up this beautiful and historical walk andexcavating the pond alongside the companionship of his fellow workers.

His hard work and enthusiasm was much appreciated by the Parish Council and he willbe sadly missed by all who worked with him.

22

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PEMBURY DAY CENTRE – ADA’S FAREWELL

AFTER EIGHT years of preparing and serving meals at Pembury Day Centre at the Baptist Church, Ada Fidder-

Boutkan has stepped down. The members have enjoyed somany of her dishes, especially when she did her roast dinners.However, I am pleased that we have two new ladies (PeggyBrooks and Mary Hill) who are willing to come along and prepare our meals alongside our currentcook, Franzi Phillips. Franzi will also be leaving us shortly to get married.

We wish both ladies all thevery best and thank them forall their hard work andcommitment; they will besadly missed. The photo isof our members taken onour last day before thesummer break. Franzi issitting on the floor, thirdfrom the left and Ada isstanding in the second rowfrom the back, seventh fromthe left.

Rosie Bass, Team Leader,Pembury Day Centre

HOPE 2010 FUN DAY

AHOT, SUNNY day heralded the Hope 2010 Family Fun Day at the recreation ground on 10 July, organised by Pembury

Churches Together and coordinated by Helen Nevison of PemburyBaptist Church. The Fun Day was opened by Deputy Mayor,Councillor Mrs Elizabeth Thomas. Families enjoyed the large number of varied stalls, fromchildren's clothes to preserves, jewellery to local charities and organisations and there were stalls justfor fun. A prayer tent was also available for those in need of spiritual comfort and refreshment.

Children enjoyed a variety of bouncy castles and inflatable sumo wrestling and the emergencyservices had information and demonstration stalls as well. Kenward Youth Services had aninformation and demonstration stall on the dangers of drinking alcohol, smoking and takingrecreational drugs. The surplus from donations will be divided between Pepenbury and the Hospicein the Weald.

Local talent was very much in evidence, with bandsThe Harveys, Summerhouse and Drenchedentertaining the crowds. There were energeticperformances in the arena from Pembury AthleticYouth Football Club, Pembury Youth TheatreAcademy and Weald of Kent Gymnastics team.

A lot of villagers turned out to enjoy the sun and funand the day was very successful. We can all lookforward to Hope 2012.

Kathy Wallwork

24

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AS I WRITE, we are still in a long, long period without rain andwatering at the allotments has become a complete chore. I’ve often

wondered whether I should try leaving the plants to cope, but I’ve neverseen it through. The good thing about the cold winter followed by thehot, dry weather has been the lack of slugs and other pests. I’ve had nomaggots in my peas – and I can never usually grow carrots without black tunnels in them.

My potatoes have been fantastic this summer. I had a bumper crop of a bright purple potato calledBlue Danube. Disappointingly they cook to the normal potato colour and you would never tell thedifference. For the first time, I’m trying to grow new potatoes for Christmas. Unfortunately thatmeant planting them when the soil was like concrete at the end of July. Thank heavens for a sonback from university! I’ve got twenty each of Carlingford, Orla, Maris Peer and Vivaldi. I will reportback.

Even the ‘volunteer’ potatoes did better than usual. These are the ones that pop up where I didn’tharvest them all properly the year before. Books suggest they are somehow inferior but I don’tagree. I think of them as free gifts and when they grow in the compost heap they are the best of all!

However, not everything did well; my broad beans were pathetic. Barely enough for three meals, letalone freezing any for the rest of the year. I’d like to know if other people had the same problem?

Although it hardly counts as a crop I had the best ever year for poppies. There were so many I hadto clear zones to fit the crops in. And they weren’t just the standard red either; there was scarlet,dark red, bright pink, pale pink, white – some with black spots, some white, some both!

Caroline Mazzey

25

MY PLOT

Editor: We received a letter from a gentleman who used to live in Pembury. He recently saw a copyof the Pembury Village News and found himself in a picture of a Street Party taken in 1945. A sectionof his letter follows:

MY BEST mate, Tony, and I have found ourselves in the photo of the Street Party inwhich I was named as Mickey Johns. Tony and I joined the army in the 1950s,

he joined the Military Police and I joined the Royal Engineers. I went to Malaya in 1952 andTony must have followed after me in 1952-54. I had no idea he was there until later in theyear when, as the Army Padre’s driver, I went up to a place called Kluang and there was aM.P. detachment there and just as a matter, I asked one of the Cpts if he knew Tony. Wellafter I told him we came from the same village he told me Tony was there; he had moveddown from Seremban the same day as I came up from Johor Bahru. I asked if I could see Tonyand he said “Well yes you can, there he is coming out of the showers.” I went down the roadtowards him and as we passed, I said “Hello, Tony”. He replied “hello, mate” and then hestopped dead and turned round and yelled “Mick! How long have you been here?” We hadphotos taken of which I have one and Tony has at least five others.

I have read the PVN from cover to cover and recognised a few names in there. I lived in thevillage for 36 years. I see my old school are champion kurlers, well done. The King Williampub looks a little different from when I last saw it when I left at least 30 years ago. I will haveto pay a visit to the village as soon as I can, on a Sunday, and have a beef roast and see if thereare any old mates in there.

Michael Johns

7000 MILES AWAY FROM HOME

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SPIDERS – FROM PHOBIA TO ADMIRATION

SPIDERS PROVOKE unexplainably strong emotions in people, emotions that are rarelypositive and with their overwhelming presence in the garden in the autumn months, there

seems to be no escape from facing one’s fears. In Australia and parts of the USA, the fear ofspiders is focused on particular venomous species, like Black Widows or Redbacks. Here inBritain, where native species are virtually harmless but happen to include some rather large andintrusive house spiders, the fear is of a more abstract nature. When it comes to arachnophobia,women apparently outnumber men 9 to 1, thoughthere is a suspicion that men simply do not want toadmit that they are scared of spiders. Extreme casesof arachnophobia are rare and are rooted inchildhood fears that persist into adulthood, thoughtquite often to have nothing to do with actual spidersbut rather their perceived unnatural abilities thatcould torment humans.

Spiders are ancient creatures that provoke greatadmiration and respect across many world cultures.Their history stretches back to the Devonian periodsome 300 million years ago, though their exactorigin loses its trace among the early prehistoricmarine creatures. Spiders, as we know them today, were wandering the Earth when it wascovered by forests of club-mosses, horsetail and ferns, when insects were still in their infancy andbirds and mammals, including humans, did not yet exist! Nature made them fine predators,supplying them with super senses, super vision and a well-developed nervous system. There isvery little that can pass them undetected. And for that we should be very grateful – if it wasn’tfor spiders, our homes and gardens would have been completely overrun by all sorts of creepy-crawly pests. Spiders are perfect strategists. Their ways of hunting differ greatly – from theweaving of orb webs by Garden spiders to ambush and pursuit by jumping spiders. Even webdesign varies: Money spiders weave finer webs that could be seen suspended above the grass,particularly with drops of morning dew, while Amaurobius spiders, commonly seen around theholes in the wall, weave messy, shapeless webs that serve the same trapping purpose as the moreknown orb-webs.

Ruthless predators though they may be, they are also romantic lovers and caring parents.Surprised? If you see a spider wandering through your living room, it is a Romeo on his way tofinding his Juliet, who prefers to stay in her cosy home. Squashing him would be a crime againstlove. And dangerous love that is too. A male spider’s main task in courtship is to convince thefemale that he is not prey. Some perform elaborate dance routines that would put disco moves toshame, while others serenade on the web strings or drum a tune on whatever surface they happento be on. And even then it is not a guarantee, so Romeos make it quick and run for their lives,leaving the parenting duties to their beloved. Most female spiders make an effort to choose the rightspot for their nest and to disguise it well; while Mothercare spider takes an active part in rearingher young after they hatch. For an invertebrate from a Devonian period, that is quite impressive.

If anything, spiders should be respected for their sheer survival skills – many species that evolvedafter them have come and gone, but they are still here playing an important role in ourecosystem, carrying on with their ancient duties and delighting us with their intricate rituals.So next time you see a spider, pause and observe – you’ll be rewarded, I promise.

Masha Odintsova-Bayles

SOME OF you may have noticed how smart the outside of Waterfield House has been lookingsince Mr W and his colleagues spent a few days working very hard preparing and painting

the woodwork. The waiting room is next in line for decorating and we are so grateful for theideas submitted by patients for a new colour scheme and mural which should be completed thisautumn. So rather than watch this space, I should say watch this wall!

I sometimes wonder whether it would have been better for my health to have done all thedecorating myself. There was a time when I was a little younger thatI did redecorate a room in the surgery, but the years have passed and Iprefer more sedentary pastimes. Men certainly enjoy their hobbies; mypassion for at least the last 30 years has been growing carnivorousplants. They are, in my eyes, beautiful plants with tremendous varietyin both shape and colour. I don’t want to witter on about the plants nowbut feel free to ask me in the surgery if you would like to try growingthem, I do have “spare” divisions in the greenhouse from time to time.

I have pleasure in announcing a new addition to the Dr Justicehousehold; baby Joshua arrived safely in June weighing 7lbs 3oz. Theother news is Dr Justine O’Neill is expecting her third baby and ispositively blooming at the moment. I gather some of you have noticedher tummy getting bigger. To be blessed with children is very special and I share such joyfultimes with families when a new baby is born. I know many of you in Pembury would love to havea baby but it never seems to happen. Having babies seems to become a very exclusive club andmembership brings multiple privileges that are denied the childless couple. I speak with coupleswho feel the very real pain and emptiness that infertility can cause. I want to remind you all thatsometimes there is something that can be done. If any of you are burdened with infertility, thenplease come and speak to me and remember that the NHS at present does support two cycles ofIVF if that is the appropriate treatment.

Once again I send my warmest greetings to you all as the nights draw in and we put the date forflu jabs in our diaries.

Dr Andrew Cameron

28

WATERFIELD HOUSE SURGERY

PEPENBURY NEWSSupport Pepenbury at the Dragon Boat Festival –Saturday 11 SeptemberPepenbury is delighted to be taking part in the Dragon BoatFestival at Bewl Water on Saturday 11 September to raisemoney for the charity. This is a very exciting event, the largest of its kind in Europe, with over90 teams competing. They have persuaded staff, service users and volunteers to dress up asPirates to paddle in the Pepenbury Pirates’ boat. The team is aiming to raise over £2000 insponsorship to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities, both residential andsupported to live independently.

Pepenbury Quiz Night will be held on Saturday 27 November, 7pm, in the Village Hall.Tickets are £10 each including food, teams of up to eight with six minimum. Book early to avoiddisappointment.Telephone 822168 for more information.

Pepenbury will be selling Christmas trees from 26 November from their site in Cornford Lane.There will be a large selection of locally grown, non-needle drop trees available.

29

JOAN CAMPBELL REMEMBERED

IT IS WITH much sadness that the family haveto announce that Joan Campbell, their

devoted Mother, one of the long-standing formerresidents of Pembury, sadly passed awaypeacefully on Tuesday 29 June 2010,aged 87, following a stroke earlier thisyear. Her funeral took place atSt Peter’s Upper Church on Thursday8 July 2010, followed by a celebrationof her life at the Ramada Jarvis Hotelin Pembury. She was buried with herlate husband.

Joan was born on 7 April 1923 but forthose of you who don’t already know, shewas actually christened Alice Joan Deacon.She was one of six children: four boys and twogirls. Sadly all but one brother have also passedaway.

She was born in Mays Cottages in RomfordRoad and during the war she joined the WAFand was stationed at the aerodrome in WestMalling as a cook. It is there that she met JohnCampbell or Jock as he was better known. Heobviously liked her cooking so much that theyended up getting married. They went on to havewhat was one of the largest families in Pemburyin the 60s, where she lived for most of her life.They had seven sons and three daughters, of

whom she was very proud.

The other places she lived in the village wereThe Grove and Beagles Wood Road until she

decided to have a well earned rest andretired to Crowborough with her son,

Andy, in 2003.

Joan was the Matriarch and thebackbone of the family, a bit like theformer character Lou Beale inEastenders. She kept everyonetogether, through good and bad times,even more so after her husband died in

1989. Her sons and daughters went onto get married themselves and produce

18 precious grandchildren and they in turnproduced nine great grandchildren. Ironically onthe day she died, the wife of one of her grandsonsgave birth to a little girl. They often say that asone goes out another comes in.

Joan will be sadly missed by everyone whose livesshe touched, but none more so than by her verylarge extended family. The family would like tothank Heather Hughes of St Peter’s Church fordelivering such a moving and poignant serviceand also the Ramada Jarvis for making thecelebration of her life very special.

Chris Campbell

LIBRARY OPENING TIMESPembury Library, The Hop House, Henwood Green Road, Pembury TN2 4HSTel: 822278. Email: pemburylibrary@kent.gov.uk

Monday:

Closed

Tuesday:

9 am-6 pm

Wednesday:

9 am-6 pm

Thursday:

9 am- 6 pm

Friday:

9 am- 6 pm

Saturday:

10 am-2 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Pembury Library now participates ina new scheme to recycle oldbatteries. Just bring them alongduring opening times and place themin the special container.

The Library also offers a HomeLibrary Service for anyone who isunable to visit the library.A volunteer will deliver and collect aselection of books to readers’ homeson a monthly basis. Please contactthe library for more information.

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PEMBURY PEOPLE – PETER JERVIS –DOWNINGBURY FARM

Were you born in Pembury?No, I originally come from Norfolk. I wasbrought up in a rural area and was a memberof Young Farmers in my youth. I alwayswanted to get into farming but I had to findan inroad into the business andfruit farming seemed the wayto go. So I went to agriculturalcollege in Chelmsford and myfirst job in 1980 was in Kent.

What brought you toPembury?Well I had the opportunity torent the farm. At that timethere was no shop so Imanaged the farm for fouryears and built up the shopduring that time. Since 1992 ithas been my own business.

Do you have a particularethos behind the shop?Well, I’m very proud of the fact that it is ashop on a working farm. That’s really quiterare round here. Also, I realised that if it wasgoing to be competitive then it would have tobe possible for people to buy everything theyneeded for their meal under the one roof. Butit was important that, as far as possible, it wasall locally sourced produce – not like at thesupermarket where your vegetables mightcome from Peru. So we mainly stock our ownproduce, from here on the farm, and Kentproduce from the Medway towns, Bearsted,Goudhurst, etc. I decided we would sellbased not on price but on the fact thateverything was local and we’ve now teamedup with a local butcher and fishmonger toreally enhance our range. So all our fruit andvegetables, milk, meat, cheese, fish and eggsare local and we are now even stocking thenew vintage Pembury cider!

Pembury must have changed quite a bitsince you’ve been here?One of the main changes I’ve noticed is thatthe shops, such as the butcher’s, aredisappearing. I think people in Pembury areless loyal than they were 10 years ago and it’stougher to hang on to customers than it used

to be. However, we have plans to take thecafé further and the pick-your-own is a greatpuller in summer. Since 2006 we’ve doubledthe area of the shop and tripled our turnover,so we’re determined to survive. I think this is

important as we provide aservice for Pembury and wealso support the village inmany ways, such as supplyingstrawberries and car-parkingfacilities for the Hospice whenthey have open days andsupporting local events and St.Peter’s.

You also have a lot ofEastern European workershelping on the farm?Yes. I used to have Englishstaff but none of them werereally interested in going into

agriculture and it was very difficult to findEnglish staff for the shop. So I now use anagency and I find it’s easier to use students.They mainly come from Romania, though inthe past we have had students from Latviaand Russia as well. They work in six monthstints and then return home. Many comeback several times. I suppose the attraction isthe money and the experience – they reallydon’t need to improve their English! On thewhole I must have between 10 and 12students at a time and I share them withPippins. I’m responsible for their wellbeingwhilst they’re over here and make sure thatthey also learn something about the culture ofBritain whilst they’re with me.

You mention Pippins. Is there anycompetition between the two farms?Oh no, we work in a spirit of collaboration.As I mentioned, we share the students whocome over and we are also collaborating onthe Pembury cider project. AlthoughDowningbury wasn’t involved in producingit, we are stocking and selling it. I firmlybelieve in working together with the otherfarmers and the village. My motto isdefinitely, “Collaboration, not competition!”

Mel Karpinski

32

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ARE YOU READY FOR WINTER?

IT IS NOW difficult to remember last winter with all that snow and ice and the impassableroads, the nightmare of getting to work or even to the shops and the worry about whether

family, friends and the elderly or disabled were alright.

Hopefully this coming winter will not be so bad and Kent County Council, having now reviewedtheir gritting and salting services after last year’s problems, will be in a better position to keeproads open, particularly those with hills. However, it is important that all of us take a few minutesto make sure we are also individually prepared.

The following are just a few suggestions from the Pembury Community Partnership, the groupthat brings together most local organisations and agencies, which while not exhaustive, may bea helpful outline checklist. Please follow this up well before winter sets in.

� Have a shovel or snow clearer in the house and a supply of salt handy (available cheaply fromgarden centres or stores like B&Q).

� Check you have decent gloves, boots or ‘wellies’ handy and they are robust enough for winteremergencies.

� Make sure you have plenty of basic foodstuffs indoors, just in case.

� Make sure you have good supplies of any medications you need.

� Check you have a radio with battery back up, electric torches with plenty of battery life inthem, spare batteries and some candles and matches or a lighter as well.

� Ensure you have plenty of credit on your mobile phone and keep it fully charged up and makesure you know the emergency phone number.

� It is also useful to keep a spade, torch, and spare boots in your vehicle just in case you get stuckin snow somewhere (and you have your fully charged mobile on you!).

� If you have prepay meters, try and have plenty of fuel tops ups in place.

� Make sure you have followed the best winter preparation advice for your house; whether it ishaving proper lagging on exposed pipes, adequate insulation for roofs, windows and doors,cleared gullies and gutters, or any of those other self preservation jobs we all know we shoulddo before the cold weather strikes.

� Arrange with housebound or elderly family, friends and neighbours that they would like aregular, helpful, but not intrusive check from time to time if the weather gets bad (and makesure you follow this up!).

� If you are blessed with a 4x4 vehicle, please do what you probably did last year and, if the snowand ice are thick, see if there is any help you can bring those of us not so blessed.

� And lastly, if you need it, do not be afraid to ask a neighbour, friend or one of the churchesfor help – they will be only too willing.

Yes, we know the above may seem obvious and maybe even patronising, but last winter showedonly too well the benefits of being prepared and self sufficient.

David Coleman and June Crowhurst,On behalf of Pembury Community Partnership

34

CRIME IN PEMBURY

TOP TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR HOME SAFE� Don’t leave the car keys or valuables in view or close to a window or a door. They must be

kept away from the human eye.

� Don’t leave any valuable items in view, such as laptops, iPods and wallets.

� Don’t leave any valuable items on show inside your vehicle, such as sat navs, sunglasses andwallets.

� Close all windows, when going to bed or leaving the property.

� If leaving the property for any period of time consider using time delays on lights to give theappearance of habitation.

� Make sure all curtains and blinds are pulled when you go to bed, or if you're out of theproperty for long periods of time.

� Don’t leave any obstacles close to fences or gates, this may allow individuals to use them asan aid to gain entry into your property.

� Make sure garages, gates and sheds are securely locked when they’re not in use. ‘L’ locksare a good form of security for garages; this helps prevent people from gaining entry.

� If you choose to use any form of security on your property, then the security must be of asufficient quality. A small padlock on a shed door will not suffice.

35

Village Market – Village Hall, Tuesdays 9am-11.30am during term time.Pembury Community Warden Surgery – Village Hall, Tuesdays 10am-11.30am.Town & Country (High Weald Housing) – Clinic, Tuesdays 10am-11.30am.CAB – Pembury Library, Thursdays 9.30am-11.30am.

September25 It’s A Knockout – Lower Green Recreation Ground – 1pm

October1 Evening WI: Auctioneers, valuations and experiences, Mr. Derek Hodges – Village Hall – 7.45pm2 Pembury Footpath Walkers – Meet at Bopeep Corner – 2.15pm2 Village Barn Dance – Downingbury Farm – Contact St. Peter’s Church – 7pm4 Floral Art – Village Hall – 7.45pm6 St. Peter’s Mothers’ Union in Kenya with Canon William Pratt – Upper Church – 8pm7 Afternoon WI: ‘From the Medway to the Mediterranean’ by Mr Michael Bunn –

Village Hall – 2pm7 Pembury Gardeners’ Society: “Alpines at Wisley” by Paul Cumberton – Catholic Hall – 7.45pm8 U3A Line Dancing – Catholic Hall – 7pm11 Pembury U3A – Catholic Hall – 2.30pm11 Parish Council Meeting – Village Hall – 8pm14 Pembury Book Group – Pembury Library – 11am30 Pembury Gardeners' Society: Halloween Dance – Village Hall30 Halloween Party Night – Pembury Cricket Club – 6.30pm

November1 Floral Art – Village Hall – 7.45pm3 St. Peter’s Mothers’ Union – An acting retirement with Mr Derek Hollweg –

Upper Church – 8pm4 Afternoon WI: Social Meeting – Village Hall – 2pm5 Evening WI: Corn Dollies with Mrs Huck – Village Hall – 7.45pm5 Fireworks – Lower Green Recreation Ground – 7pm6 RNLI Autumn Fayre – Catholic Hall – 10am6 Pembury Footpath Walkers – Meet at Stonecourt Lane bus stop – 2.15pm8 Pembury U3A – Catholic Hall – 2.30pm8 Parish Council Meeting – Village Hall – 8pm11 Pembury Book Group – Pembury Library – 11am19 Hospice in the Weald Christmas Market – Maidstone Road – 10am-4pm20 Hospice in the Weald Christmas Market – Maidstone Road – 10am-4pm27 Pepenbury Quiz Night – Village Hall – 7pm

December1 St. Peter’s Mothers’ Union – Christmas Supper – Venue to be arranged2 Afternoon WI: Christmas Dinner – Village Hall – 2pm3 Evening WI: Introduction to Middle Eastern Dance with Ann Hall – Village Hall – 7.45pm4 St. Anselm’s Christmas Bazaar – Catholic Hall – 2pm4 Pembury Footpath Walkers – Meet opposite Camden Arms – 2.15pm6 Parish Council Meeting – Village Hall – 8pm9 Pembury Book Group – Pembury Library – 8pm12 Goudhurst District WI Carols – St. Peter’s Upper Church – 2.30pm13 Pembury U3A – Catholic Hall – 2.30pm13 Floral Art – Village Hall – 7.45pm

FOR YOUR DIARY

36

ROSIE’S RECIPES

FOR THIS quarter’s recipes I thoughtI would just give you cake recipes. The first

one uses vegetables, the second uses fruit andthe third – well, as it was my birthday whenI wrote this column, I thought I would give youa celebration cake that would be very easy tomake. I hope you enjoy them.

Walnut Carrot Bread Ingredients: enough for 12 servings225g (8oz) whole wheat flour75g (3oz) moist brown sugar11/2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda1 tsp salt2 eggs120ml (4floz) buttermilk75ml (3floz) vegetable oil225g (8oz) carrots, grated2 celery sticks, finely diced75g (3oz) walnuts, chopped

Preparation:Heat oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). In a largebowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder,bicarbonate of soda and salt. Beat eggs withbuttermilk and oil. Stir into flour mixture withcarrots, celery and walnuts. Mix well. Turninto a greased 700g (11/2lb) loaf tin and bakefor about 50 mins, or until a skewer insertedinto centre comes out clean. Leave to cool intin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rackto cool completely. Good served with: Creamcheese or Cheddar cheese and sweet pickle orpickled walnuts. This makes a nice alternativeto biscuits with cheese at the end of a meal.

OK, this is not strictly a cake but you couldsubstitute 75g (3oz) raisins for celery and addgrated rind of half an orange. Use milk insteadof buttermilk, if you prefer.

Choc ’n’ Cherry Meringue CakeIngredients: serves 8 slices100g (4oz) soft tub margarine100g (4oz) caster sugar2 large eggs3 tbsp cocoa3 tbsp hot water100g (4oz) self-raising flour1 tsp baking powder50g (2oz) walnuts, chopped12 maraschino cherries, choppedMeringue topping2 egg whitesPinch of salt6 tbsp caster sugar

Preparation:Heat oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3). Greaseand line 20cm (8in) round cake tin. Putmargarine, sugar and eggs into a bowl. Blendcocoa with hot water and add to bowl. Siftflour and baking powder into bowl. Beatingredients together with wooden spoon for2-3 mins. Stir in nuts and cherries. Transfermixture to cake tin and level surface. Bake for30 mins, cool for 5 mins and turn out ontobaking sheet. Remove paper. Whisk egg whitesand salt until frothy. Continue whisking,adding 1 tbsp sugar at a time, until stiff andglossy. Spread over cake; cook for 10-15 minsuntil golden. Cool before cutting into 8 slices.Tip: If using an electric mixer for making cake,take care to beat ingredients for one minuteonly as over-beating mixture can spoil thefinished result.

Celebration Cat CakeIngredients: (12 servings)Sponge4 eggs100g (4oz) caster sugar1tsp vanilla essence100g (4oz) self raising flour, siftedFilling7 tbsp raspberry jamButtercream225g (8oz) butter, softened450g (1lb) icing sugar, sifted1 tsp vanilla essence1-2 tbsp warm water100g (4oz) plain chocolate, meltedLiquorice and chocolate buttons, to decorate

Preparation:Heat oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). Greaseand base line two 20 cm (8 in) sandwich tins.Put eggs and sugar in a bowl over a pan of hotwater and whisk until light and very thick. Foldin vanilla and flour. Bake for 20-25 minutesuntil springy to the touch. Cool, then split

cakes horizontally in half and spread with jam.Cut one cake into a 13cm (5in) circle to makehead. Use trimmings to make ears. Cut intoother cake and ease away to form a tail.Assemble cake. Beat buttercream ingredientstogether until smooth, spread over cake. Swirlmelted chocolate onto cake with a fork thendecorate.

Rosie Bass

37

CHURCH TIMES

CATHOLIC CHAPELOF ST. ANSELM –PEMBURYSunday Mass 10.30am

Holy Days – Vigil Mass7.30pm

Weekday Service:Wednesday – Mass 7pm

www.stjustusandanselm.org.uk

PEMBURY BAPTISTCHURCH

Whether you are familiarwith church or have neverbeen to a church before,PBC is an enjoyable, caringand diverse communitywith activities all throughthe week for all ages.

Our services explorerelevant life issues and areon Sundays at 10am for afamily service (withchildren’s activities) and6.30pm for a café service.We’d love to see you there!

Please call 825590 or visitwww.pemburybaptistchurch.org.uk for details.

ST. PETER’SCHURCH SERVICES

Upper Church8am Holy Communion

9.45am The ParishEucharist andJun Church

10am Holy Communion(Wednesdays)

Old Church11.30am Matins (exceptfirst Sunday, HolyCommunion)

Evening services asadvertised on Churchnoticeboards. Contact tel. no. 824761.www.pemburychurch.net

ROSIE’S RECIPES – continued

38

YOUR REPRESENTATIVESPARISH COUNCIL

BOROUGH COUNCILPaul Barrington-King, 22 The Coppice, TN2 4EY. Tel: 825144

June Crowhurst, 44 Elmhurst Avenue TN2 4DA. Tel: 824873

Mike Tompsett, 14 Gimble Way, TN2 4BX. Tel: 822711

COUNTY COUNCILKevin Lynes, KCC, Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XQ. Tel: 890922

Deputy Clerk to the Pembury Parish Council6 The Grove TN2 4BU. Tel: 823193 Email:deputy@pemburypc.kentparishes.gov.uk

Cllr June Crowhurst,44 Elmhurst Avenue TN2 4DATel: 824873Chairman of Parish Council

Cllr Duncan Hope80 Woodhill Park TN2 4NPTel: 824496

Cllr Sally Osborn34 Canterbury RoadTN2 4JT. Tel: 822726

Cllr Janet Ditchett,7 Cornford Park TN2 4PWTel: 822586

Cllr Patrick Gillan1 Knights Close TN2 4ELTel: 825324Chairman, Amenities, ChristmasLights and Pride in Pembury

Cllr Kevin Edser,49 The Gill TN2 4DJTel: 823643Vice Chairman of Parish CouncilChairman of Planning & HighwaysWorking Group

Cllr Melanie Karpinski48 Maidstone Road TN2 4DETel: 824466Chairman, Environment,Environmental Issues (incorporatingAllotments & Burials)

Cllr Chris Snow1 Cornford Park TN2 4PWTel: 825428

Cllr Beverli Shaw3 Knight Ridge TN2 4HPTel: 823268Chairman of Public RelationsWorking Group

Cllr David Coleman22 Ridgeway TN2 4ERTel: 823402

Cllr Andrew Procter82 Woodhill Park TN2 4NPTel: 823064Chairman, Audit, Finance andPersonnel Working Group

Clerk to the Pembury ParishCouncilBarbara Russell, 6 The GroveTN2 4BU. Tel: 823193. Email:clerk@pemburypc.kentparishes.gov.uk

39

VILLAGE ORGANISATIONSAGE CONCERN

Mrs Sandra Springett. Tel: 522591AMBERSIDE DANCE STUDIO

Principal: Victoria Mustill-King. Tel: 724777CATHOLIC CHURCH

Fr. Liam Gallagher. Tel: 833699CONSERVATIVE PARTY

Terry Cload, 56 Herons Way. Tel: 823966FRIENDS OF PEMBURY HOSPITAL

c/o Pembury Hospital. Tel: 823535FRIENDS OF PEMBURY PARISH CHURCH

Chairman: Mrs S. Clarke, Little Stanton,Romford Road. Tel: 823932

GUIDES, BROWNIES AND RAINBOWSMrs M. Allan, 9 Henwood Green Road. Tel: 822373

HOSPICE IN THE WEALDMaidstone Road. Tel: 820500

KENT COLLEGEHeadmistress: Mrs Sally-Anne Huang. Tel: 822006

KENT COLLEGE PREP SCHOOL & NURSERYHeadmistress: Mrs Ann Lawson. Tel: 820204

LABOUR PARTYDave & Sally Osborn, 34 Canterbury Rd. Tel: 822726

LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTYDavid Mills. Tel: 825577

LITTLE RASCALSc/o PBC Office. Tel: 825590

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETYTW District. Tel: 0845 6037882

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND, UKMichael Coggles. Tel: 822705

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCHJanet Ditchett. Tel: 822586

OUT AND ABOUT CLUBSue Giles. Tel: 823318

PEMBURY ALLOTMENT ASSOCIATIONBrenda Brown. Tel: 824163

PEMBURY ATHLETIC (YOUTH) FOOTBALL CLUBColin Forward. Tel: 825436

PEMBURY BAPTIST CHURCHRevd. Wayne Alexander, Church Office. Tel: 825590

PEMBURY BOWLS CLUBLen Birnie. Tel: 01892 681222

PEMBURY BRIDGE CLUBGeoff Plummer. Tel: 824652

PEMBURY COMMUNITY LINK GROUP FORHOSPICE IN THE WEALD

Graham Hayler. 9 The Gill. Tel: 824680PEMBURY COMMUNITY WARDEN

Tom Younger. Tel: 07813 694138PEMBURY COMMUNITY WORKING PARTNERSHIP

Parish Office. Tel: 823193PEMBURY CRICKET CLUB

Hon. Secretary: Sandy Crouch, 7 The Forge,Five Oak Green. Tel: 834166

PEMBURY DAY CENTRERosie Bass. Tel: 822059

PEMBURY ECO GROUPRick and Masha Bayles. Tel: 822865

PEMBURY FOOTBALL CLUBSaturday Secretary: Bill Baker. Tel: 825822Sunday Secretary: Phil Craxton. 823928Chairman: Andy Rice-Tucker,

35 Woodhill Park. Tel. 822483

PEMBURY FOOTPATH WALKERSN. & K. Franklin, 11 The Meadow. Tel: 823212

PEMBURY GARDENERSAnn Purton. Tel: 824223

PEMBURY PAVILION BOOKINGSColin Forward. Tel: 825436

PEMBURY PHOENIX TWIRLERSDave Brett. Tel: 824233

PEMBURY PLAYERSJames Whitehorn. Tel: 824854

PEMBURY SCHOOLActing headteacher: Mrs J. Gardner. Tel: 822259

PEMBURY SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONSam Knight. Tel: 824862

PEMBURY SCHOOL HOUSE NURSERYTeacher in charge: Rachel Teigen. Tel: 825580

PEMBURY SHORT MAT BOWLING CLUBArthur Storey. Tel: 822509

PEMBURY SOCIETYChairman: Ken Watts. Tel: 822770

PEMBURY TENNIS CLUBMrs S. Smith, 2 Ridgeway. Tel: 822405

PEMBURY U3AMembership Secretary: Andrew Richardson.Tel: 824012

PEMBURY UPPER AND OLD CHURCHRevd. Heather Hughes. Tel: 822764

PEMBURY VILLAGE MARKETKarol Young. Tel: 823413Julie Potten. Tel: 825477

PEMBURY YOUTH THEATRE ACADEMYDee Barrington-King. Tel: 825144

PEPENBURYPrincipal: Mr Roger Gibson, Cornford Lane. Tel: 822168

POLICE COMMUNITY SUPPORT OFFICERPCSO Nick Brown. Tel: 07772 226001

ROTARY CLUB OF SOUTHBOROUGH & PEMBURYSecretary: Nigel Stratton. Tel: 822936

ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTIONPeter Chartres, 54 Woodhill Park. Tel: 823759

SCOUTS, CUBS AND BEAVERSMike Cartwright, 16 Cornford Park. Tel: 823235

SCOUT & GUIDE HQ MANAGEMENT TEAMMike Cartwright, 16 Cornford Park. Tel: 823235 andMoira Allan, 9 Henwood Green Road. Tel: 822373

ST. ANSELM HALL ENQUIRIESJanet Ditchett. Tel: 822586.

ST. PETER’S MOTHERS’ UNIONSecretary: Mrs M. Adams. Tel: 822769

TABLE TENNIS CLUBJohn Burleton. Tel: 823250

TOWN & COUNTRY (HIGH WEALD HOUSING)Housing manager: Eleanor Dench.Tel: 0845 8731 321

TREE WARDEN. Caroline Mazzey. Tel: 822493TUNBRIDGE WELLS ACCESS GROUP

Gill Pavely. Tel: 822605TUNBRIDGE WELLS & DISTRICT VICTIM SUPPORT

SCHEME. Tel: 513969VILLAGE HALL

Manager (bookings): Rachel Windus. Tel: 822837WHEELCHAIR LOAN(24 hour maximum, for Pembury Residents)

Pauline Hawker. Tel: 824327WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

Afternoon: Mrs Margaret Buss. Tel: 822530Evening: Mrs Angela Saunders. Tel: 822307